Draw-bar-centering device.



t C. DAVIDSON.

DRAW SAR CENTERING DEVICE.

. APPLICATION FILED MAR, 2z, 1915.

A. C. DAVIDSON. DRAW BAR CENTERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1915. Lw. Bamm M3112, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fnasasco.

ARTHUR o. DAVIDSON, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssrGNoa To WAUGH DRAFT GEAR COMPANY, or CHICAGO, LLINOIs, A CORPORATION or ILDrNoIs DRAW-BAR-CEN'IERING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Ilatent.V

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

Application filed March 22, 1915. Serial No. 16,066. f

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. DAVIDSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draw-Bar- Centering Devices; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

Various devices have been designed with the end in view of maintaining the drawbar and coupler head of a car on which the same are mounted, normally in a central position, so that when the cars are coupled to one another the coupler heads are properly disposed for the purpose. The type of construction used heretofore, although successful in operation, has proved difficult of access, and if for any reason renewal of any of the parts becomes necessary, the dismantlingand assembling again of the structure is exceedingly inconvenient and requires considerable time.

It is an object therefore of this invention to construct a centering mechanism for drawbars on cars embracing an easily removable bolt associated with a heavy compression spring acting to control the pivotal movement of a plate which contacts each side of the drawbar to resist movement of the drawbar from a normal central position.

It is also an object of this invention to construct a centering device for ldrawbars involving the use lof a plate capable of movement about either one of two pivot points and between abutments on which the drawbar is adjustably confined with resilient mechanism resisting movement of said plate from a central position stressed in substantially an axial line.

It is furthermore an object of this invention to construct a drawbar centering device wherein the particular form of retaining bolt is such as to permit adaptation thereof to different types ofcentering devices.

It is finally ari-object of this invention to improve the construction of drawbar centering mechanisms to facilitate assembly of the parts as wellas access thereto for repair or adjustment.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating a drawbar and coupler mounted on a car with a centering device involving the principles of my invention adapted thereto.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the centering mechanism with the operation thereof illustrated in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a detail section with parts in elevation taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4l is a detail section taken on line 4 4; of Fig. 3, with the retaining bolt omitted.

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, with the retaining bolt omitted.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front plan view o f the supporting bracket plates of the device.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of a modified form of device.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary end view thereof.

Fig. 9 is a sectionv taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 7, with parts shown in elevation.

As shown in the drawings:

Referring to Fig. l, a car platform is denoted as a whole bythe reference numeral l, being provided as is usual with a tread plate 2, and platform buer 8, but inasmuch as the Operating mechanisms of the latter form no part of this invention, the same have been omitted. rlhe drawbar mounted beneath the car platform and associated with any suitable draft gear (not shown) is indicated by the reference numeral 4, and

is lprovided on its outer end with a coupler head 5. Said drawbar 4, rests upon a flat plate 6, provided with a pair-of abutments 7, projecting perpendicularly on the Lipper surface thereof, and the contact surfaces of which for the sides of said drawbar 4l, arel `to afford pivot recesses or pockets 11, to reproper pocket therefor, as clearly shown iny dotted lines in Fig. 2.

As illustrated in Fig. 51, 1a long retaining bolt 13, disposed in horizontal position, ex-

.tends through an aperture in the down-Vl `wardly extending flanged portion 10, of the bracket plate 8, and through `an aperture 1nV said movable plate 6, said bolt being provided on its end with a cylindrical crossr piece 14, which seats in a recess 115, formed in the sideof a squared ho-le 16, extending` therethrough.v It is particularly in the form Y and construction of the bolt and the manner of its association with the bracket plate 8,

Y and movable plate 6, wherein my invention lies. Coiled around said retaining bolt 13, is a heavy compression spring 17 one end of which bears against the anged portion 10, of the bracket 8, and the other end of which bears against a nut 18, threaded on the outer end of` the bolt and prevented from becoming loose thereon by a split pin 19, removably engaged therethrough. As clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, the opening through the fla-nge of thebracket member 28, is of' oblong shape and is indicatedby the reference numeral 20, to permit the rounded cross piece or head 14, on said T-head bolt 13, to be projected therethrough and thereafter turned upwardly into a vertical position. The aperture' or opening through the bearing portion of the movable plate 6, is also oblong in shape and disposed horizontally, being denoted by the reference numeral 21,7as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

In the modified form of device illustrated in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, I have illustrated a yoke or vU-shaped fixed bracket plate 22, provided at its inner edge with a downwardly extending flange 23, and with an integral cross vbrace member 24, extending between the arms of the U so formed. As in the previous construction, a plate member 25, provided with rounded pivot bearing extensions 26, rests upon the upper surface of the bracket plate 22, with the pivot extensions seatedV in bearing recesses formed by upwardly curved projecting flanges 27, on the upper surface of the bracket plate 22. As before, convex abutments 28, are provided on the upper vsurface of the movable plate 25, between whichr the drawbar of the car is disposed and against which theV same is adapted tobear in swinging from' side to side.v For they purpose of normallymaintaining saidl plate 25, in central position, a

retaining T-head'ed: bolt 29, is provided, the

T-head of which consists of aV ,cylindrical cross piece 30, which normally rests in avertiea'l' bearing recess formed between the ribs '31, ontlie` outer side of' the Ydownwardly v I directed aange es, or the bracket plate.

of said b'olt and lockedther'eon :by apin 34,

and at its other end bearing against a downwardly flanged shoulder 35, formed integral with the under side of said plate 25, and through which said bolt 29, extends. Afsupporting member, denoted by the reference numeral 36, is provided for said stationary U-bracket 22, being vsecured thereto by means of bolts 37. Y j

The operation is as follows: d

In the Iform of device illustrated in Figs. 1 to`6 inclusive, the stress of the springv 17 acts normally to resist ,pivotal :movement of the plate 6, upon the 4bracket member 8, so

that a d-rawbar disposed between the` abut-` ments 7, on said plate6, wh'en'swungfrom alcentral position, unless positively held in vsuch a position, vwill be returned by fthe plate r6, under the stress of the compression spring 17. -The plate 6, in its pivotal move ment on the bracketfmember 8, pivots upon either one lof the rounded members 12, as the case may be, so that. the movement of the bolt 13, which is` drawn inwardly when'the movable plate 6, is swung into a position to one side, is practically along a straight line, and direct compression of the spring 17, result-s. In assembling the device the rounded cylindrical cross member 14, on said bolt 13, is yi'irst inserted throughL the horizontal slots in the flange 10, of the bracket 8, and the corresponding registering slots provided in a downwardly ilanged extension of the movable plate 6, and theref after is rotated to dispose the cylindrical member 14, into a vertical position to seat in the rounded recess 15, provided therefor in the squared aperture 16, which is provided in said' movable plate 6. rIhe `coiled spring 17 is then inserted over the bolt, and the lock nut 18, threaded thereon, after which the cotter, pin 19, is inserted thereoblongslots for'kinsertifonof said cross member therethrough in puttingv the'bolt 29, 1n place, for the reason that the bolt is inserted threaded end first through. the4 respective" 1 registered apertures in the bracket member and flange of the movable plate.'` r Y I Vam aware that variousyvdeta'ils of. construction Inay be varied. through a'wlde necessary to providehorizontally' disposed Y p ject on each side of range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a device of the class described, a stationary member, a movable plate member adapted for pivotal movement thereon, abutments on said plate member adapted to prothe drawbar of acar, an integral one piece T-headed bolt extending through registering apertures in said members, and a spring coiled thereabout to resist movement of said movable member from a central position, said bolt and spring adapted to be simultaneously removed from engagement with said members by simply compressing the springand turning the bolt.

2. In a device of the class described, a stationary member, a movable member mounted thereon, a plurality of pivot points 'for movement of said movable member with respect to said stationary member, downwardly projecting means on each of' said members, a T-headed bolt extending through registering apertures in said respective means, and a spring coiled thereabout to resist relative movement between said members, said T-headed bolt and spring adapted to be removed from the device by rotating said T-headed bolt ninety degrees to permit the same to be drawn outwardly through said apertures.

3. In a device of the class described, a stationary member having a recess therein, a movable member disposed thereon adapted :for pivotal movement at different pivot points thereon, abutments on said vmovable member adapted to project on each side of the draw-bar of a car, and means positioned copies of this below said member and seated in said recess acting to resist movement of said movable member about a pivot point Jfrom a central position with respect to said stationary member, said means adapted to be removed from its seated engagement with said recessed stationary member by simply rotating the same.

4. In a device of the class described the Y combination with a drawbar of a car, a stationary plate thereon having a vertical recess and a horizontal slot therein, a movable plate pivotally mounted on said stationary7 plate having a horizontal slot therein adapted to register with the slot of said stationary plate, resilient means Jfor resisting movement between said plates, and headed means engaging the same adapted to be removably inserted through said registering slots and rotated through an angle of ninety degrees to seat in said recess to removably hold said resilient means in position.

5. A centering device or couplers comprising a stationary member, a movable member, abutments on the movable member, said members having registering elongated slots, and one member having an elongated recess extending transversely of the slots, a retaining :member having an elongated head adapted for insertion through said elongated slots and after insertion being turned for the head to engage in the recess and a tension spring on the retaining member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR C. DAVIDSON.

Witnesses:

CHARLEs W. I-IILLS, Jr., FRANK K. HUDSON.

patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatents,

Washington, D. C. 

